Ruger 10/22 bolt: Cast stainless or carbon steel?

[Armed012002]

What material does Ruger cast their 10/22 bolt from?

I've never had any issues with corrosion which makes me believe it's stainless steel.

I don't have a 10/22 bolt handy. Does anyone have a magnet and what to see if it's attracted?

 

[CraigC]

They've always been carbon steel and unfinished.

 

[hardluk1]

Stainless steel with enough carbon steel to be some what magnetic. I have one thats from 1984 and also is a fine shape.

 

[dfariswheel]

There's a very simple test to find out which it is.
Clean the bolt off with a solvent and apply a drop of cold blue.

I'm betting that even the stainless Ruger will have a carbon steel bolt.

 

[CraigC]

Like I said, they've always been carbon steel and left in the white. Even the stainless steel models, which the only stainless part they wear is the barrel. I know, I blast the bolts and then apply cold blue for a matte black appearance.

Stainless steel with enough carbon steel to be some what magnetic. I have one thats from 1984 and also is a fine shape.

Stainless steel is simply carbon steel with 11% or more chromium content.

 

[tango2echo]

My older SS Ruger 10/22's have SS bolts. Early 1990's models. Both are non-magnetic. A newer SS one I have is polished carbon steel.

t2e

 

[CraigC]

The magnet test is folly.

The above-pictured rifle with the cold blued bolt started life as a stainless/laminate model bought new in 1992. I'm telling you, they are all carbon steel.

 

[1KPerDay]

Pretty nifty milling for the tech-sights... who did it?

 

[RickMD]

CraigC is correct. A magnet will be attracted to stainless steel just like any other carbon steel alloy. Steel by it's very nature has a high carbon content otherwise it would be cast iron. Stainless is just alloyed with relatively high amounts of chromium.

 

[hardluk1]

Not all SS is magnetic and the amount can very. Any of you with a good ss barrel and also a ss frig check them out. The bolt has waaay less stick with a magnet than my SS kidd barrel and the our ss frig has none. I know it's how the molecules are structured during production. But most all normal carbon steel i have seen will rust sooner or later. Rugers 22 mags where not carbon steel or SS they were tungsten.

 

[CraigC]

Pretty nifty milling for the tech-sights... who did it?

Thanks, yours truly did the machine work.